MORTON might have ended 2013 with a defeat but their performance against second placed Hamilton Accies offered hope that 2014 could usher in an improvement in their fortunes.

Despite slipping to their seventh successive defeat, and one which now leaves them 12 points off the safety of eighth place following Queen of the South’s win at Cowdenbeath, Ton deserved more.

They merited reward for a dominant second-half display, but that it evaded them was in no small part down to a lack of a ruthless streak in the final third.

Opening up the opposition and creating opportunities has proven difficult thus far this season, but Saturday saw them create a handful of gilt-edged opportunities in the final 25 minutes.

The fact they failed to take any of them saw the Cappielow club leave South Lanarkshire empty handed.

The goal-scoring stats show that Ton have now failed to hit the net in three consecutive matches, and have managed to do so just twice in their last seven fixtures.

Looking at the longer term, they have scored more than one goal in just three league matches all season.

There can be no doubt that Ton need someone who can put the ball in the net. But more than that, they also need a frontman who can destabilise opposition defences.

For most of Saturday afternoon, Morton lacked a presence at the sharp end and Accies centre-halves Martin Canning and Mikey Devlin were rarely troubled.

Former Hibs and Scotland striker Garry O’Connor has been training with the Cappielow club and manager Kenny Shiels has told the Tele he is a player he is hoping to sign.

You can’t help but think if Ton had O’Connor, or someone of that ilk, this was the type of encounter they would have likely taken at least a share of the spoils.

Fans of the Cappielow club can take heart from the fact that new boss Shiels is well aware of this and is working feverishly in the background to address the situation, and other areas of concern besides.

The Ton boss’s transfer activity has already been telling, with ageing players Nacho Novo and Mark McLaughlin both released.

As exclusively revealed in the Tele, the pair made way for young blood in 21-year-old former Rangers defender Darren Cole and current Ibrox attacking midfielder Barrie McKay on a one-month loan.

Both were brought straight into the starting line-up for debuts, with Cole partnering Tomas Peciar at centre-half in place of Michal Habai.

McKay, who celebrates his 19th birthday today, started in behind lone frontman Archie Campbell, who was restored to the starting line-up after a month on the fringes of the first-team.

In a surprise move, Reece Hands was deployed on the left of the attacking midfield three in place of the injured Joe McKee.

With Imrie on the right flank, Accies boss Alex Neil responded to the inverted widemen by playing inverted full-backs, with left-footed Lee Kilday on the right and right-footed Ziggy Gordon on the left.

Part of his reason for bringing in Cole, Shiels explained, was due to his mobility which would allow his defence to play higher up the park, thereby pushing the midfield and frontline further on.

This wasn’t quite working as planned in the early stages, however, with a rusty looking Cole caught out by balls in behind him twice in the first minute.

Much like last week, Morton also struggled to get out of their half early on as their opponents sussed out their unwavering commitment to passing out from the back and pressed high up the pitch.

Nicolas Caraux’s decision making was proving problematic, and he was fortunate when his overly ambitious clipped pass went unpunished despite being cut out by Ali Crawford.

Yet, just like the previous Saturday, Morton were first to really threaten, and via another Imrie set piece.

In a repeat of a corner routine worked against Falkirk, the skipper picked out Hands lurking outside the box.

The Englishman took a touch and shot for goal.

His strike was not a clean one and was heading wide until the handily placed Peciar stuck out a leg and attempted to redirect the ball towards goal.

The placed effort did not have enough on it to hit the target, though, and crashed against the advertising hoardings behind the goal, much to the home fans’ collective relief.

Imrie was prominent again on 17 minutes, working a one-two with Campbell to cleave a path down the right wing, but he overhit his cross from a promising position, sending the ball over Hands’ head.

The hosts managed their first real attempt on goal on 23 minutes when Gordon swung over a free-kick which Devlin met with a downwards header that forced Caraux to block.

The French keeper’s shot stopping is more often than not beyond reproach, but he remained unsure of himself and hesitant as he attempted to distribute the ball.

It was his ill-advised throw to an under pressure Stephen Stirling that directly led to the only goal of the game on 24 minutes.

Stirling had his pocket picked by Grant Gillespie who then fed James Keatings.

The former Celtic kid charged down the left and floated over a pin-point centre for Mickael Antoine-Curier to head home.

Despite their lofty Championship position, the hosts looked no better than their rock bottom opponents – Ton just lacked that final piece in their attacking jigsaw.

Hands sent an ambitious 35-yard strike wide, McKay saw an intelligent attempt to slip Imrie in on goal cut out, while Campbell miscontrolled a searching Stirling pass down the inside-right channel.

But it was Caraux who was again called into action as Hamilton created a tangible opening on 40 minutes.

Picking up possession wide on the left, Crawford chopped back onto his right foot and sent a cross swirling in toward the danger area.

The ball flicked off a head on the way through and dropped perfectly for Darian MacKinnon to unleash a thunderous volley.

MacKinnon caught the ball flush but Caraux’s reaction save was stunning. Despite his close proximity to the player giving him a fraction of a second to respond, he flicked out an arm to push to safety.

It took Ton until the 45th minute to draw a save from 20-year-old Hamilton goalkeeper Blair Currie in what was his first start of the season.

Currie, who made his first senior start against Ton two seasons ago, replaced Kevin Cuthbert just 15 minutes before kick-off after he pulled up with a groin problem in the pre-match warm-up.

After going untested for the first 45 minutes, Currie did well to beat down Imrie’s powerful drive to preserve his side’s lead going in at the break.

For the second consecutive week, new boss Shiels, who was serving the second of his two-game touchline ban, was unsatisfied at the interval and made a change, replacing Stirling with Jake Nicholson.

Ton were a different beast after the break and penned the hosts back for much of half as they dominated possession and passed the ball with more purpose and poise than previously.

Cole in particular was impressive and oozed confidence as he passed out from the back while helping keep Ton secure at the back.

They looked less likely to concede than they have in a long time.

McKay was also beginning to flicker into life and grow into the game, and one mazy dribble ended with him hauled down on the edge of the area.

The diminutive winger took the kick and placed a firm side-footed effort towards the bottom-right corner.

Keeper Currie plunged low to his left to block — but could only parry into the path of the inrushing Nicholson, who blazed the ball over a gaping goal from five yards, leaving him distraught.

Ton really stepped up through the gears in the final 10 minutes, with Aidan Fulton introduced on the left to facilitate a switch to a 3-5-2 formation.

Teenager Fulton’s direct style saw him instantly and instinctively drive to the bye-line and fire over a fantastic delivery that Nicholson met with a downwards header.

The ball looked destined to hit the back of the net until Accies captain Canning popped up on the line to block — before Currie compounded Morton’s heartbreak by touching the ball over the bar.

The visitors were really piling on the pressure and Nicholson was presented with another glaring opportunity in the final minute but somehow failed to connect with Peciar’s dangerous deep cross.

By the time referee Iain Brines blew for full-time Accies were holding on for dear life, with manager Neil later admitting he altered his side’s shape to contain the Greenock men.

The home supporters had also taken to airing their dissatisfaction, with one disgruntled fan aiming his frustration at the home dugout, shouting: “This is murder, Alex!” However, despite their second-half display arguably warranting at least a point, Morton ultimately left with nothing to show for their efforts.

If Shiels can strengthen his side, and his frontline in particular, in the coming days or weeks then these hard luck stories may just be consigned to the dustbin of 2013.